U.S. patent number 8,276,698 [Application Number 12/280,814] was granted by the patent office on 2012-10-02 for electrically propelled vehicle.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik AG & Co KG. Invention is credited to Helmut Foidl, Walter Guss.
United States Patent |
8,276,698 |
Guss , et al. |
October 2, 2012 |
Electrically propelled vehicle
Abstract
An electrically-propelled vehicle, the battery of which is
housed in a battery housing (20) arranged in the rear of the
vehicle and under the floor (4) thereof, to be protected against
front and rear collisions and restricting the load are as little as
possible. The above is achieved by the floor (4) comprising a
cut-out (11), larger in plan than the outline of the battery
housing (20), the cut-out (11) having a reinforced edge (12), to
which front and rear support pieces (13, 30) for the battery
housing (20) are fixed, the rear support piece (13) being fixed to
the vehicle by a pair of flanges (17, 17') with rearward downwardly
inclined stop surfaces (19) and the battery housing (20) is rigid
or reinforced.
Inventors: |
Guss; Walter (Gossendorf,
AT), Foidl; Helmut (Graz, AT) |
Assignee: |
Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik AG
& Co KG (Graz, AT)
|
Family
ID: |
38117169 |
Appl.
No.: |
12/280,814 |
Filed: |
February 27, 2007 |
PCT
Filed: |
February 27, 2007 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/AT2007/000099 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
February 17, 2009 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2007/095663 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
August 30, 2007 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20090242298 A1 |
Oct 1, 2009 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Feb 27, 2006 [AT] |
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144/2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
180/68.5;
180/65.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60K
1/04 (20130101); B60L 3/0007 (20130101); B60L
50/66 (20190201); Y02T 10/705 (20130101); B60K
2001/0416 (20130101); Y02T 10/70 (20130101); Y02T
10/7005 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60R
16/04 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;180/68.5,69.4,270,274,65.1 ;296/187.03,187.05,187.08,187.11
;280/834,784 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Phan; Hau
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bachman & LaPointe, P.C.
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. An electrically propelled vehicle comprising a battery which is
accommodated by a battery box which is arranged in a rear of the
vehicle and under the floor thereof, and a) the floor has a cutout
which, in top view, is larger than an outline of the battery box,
b) the cutout has a reinforced edge to which, at a front and rear
of the cutout, downwardly directed supporting parts for the battery
box are fastened, c) a rear supporting part is fastened to the
vehicle via a pair of flanges having rearwardly and downwardly
sloping stop surfaces, the pair of flanges make contact with each
other along the stop surfaces, the stop surfaces are connected to
each other by shear bolts, wherein the shear bolts are dimensioned
in such a manner that the shear bolts shear at a defined impact
force, and d) the battery box is rigid and fastened to the pair of
flanges, wherein, in the event of a collision and shearing of the
shear bolts, the pair of flanges slide on each other which results
in the entire battery box to pivot downward.
2. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein a front supporting
part and the rear supporting part are detachably fastened to the
floor so that they become detached from the floor panel in the
event of a collision.
3. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein a front supporting
part is fastened to a lower side of the reinforced edge by tear
bolts and has a horizontal supporting spike which is displaceable
and engages in a supporting plate.
4. The vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the supporting plate
is fastened to the floor of the vehicle and is supported on the
vehicle by a crumple zone located in front of the supporting spike
in the direction of forward travel.
5. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cover of the
battery box is fastened removably to the reinforced edge and sits
by means of an edge tightly on the battery box.
6. The vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cover of the
battery box is composed of plastic and is releasably connected to
the battery box such that it becomes detached in the event of a
collision.
7. The vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cover of the
battery box contains electronics associated with the battery.
8. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery is
supported in the battery box by elastic elements.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to electrically propelled vehicles, the
battery of which is accommodated by a battery box which is arranged
in the rear of the vehicle and under the floor thereof. These may
be either vehicles having a purely electric drive or else having a
hybrid electric drive (internal combustion engine and electric
engine which can also operate as a generator). Both have storage
batteries (for short: batteries) which are considerably larger and
heavier than those in motor vehicles propelled only by an internal
combustion engine.
Such batteries take up a large amount of construction space, their
momentum caused by their mass in the event of a collision may put
the passengers at risk and their content is often chemically
aggressive, and therefore they also have to be protected from
damage. In addition, the high-power batteries used generally
require comprehensive auxiliary equipment (fans, coolant pumps and
electronics) which causes noise and has to be accessible for
maintenance purposes. Furthermore, the vehicle trunk is to be
restricted as little as possible and is to have a flat loading
floor.
A vehicle of the type in question is known from DE 25 22 844. The
battery is accommodated there in a trough which is suspended in
front of the rear axle and below the closed floor panel by means of
flanges. The front flange hangs in an angle rail which is welded to
a section of the longitudinal sills, which section runs obliquely
forward and downward, in such a manner that it forms a
predetermined breaking point. As a result, in the event of a
head-on collision, the trough is pushed downward at its front edge
and is thus deflected from the interior of the vehicle. However,
the battery is not protected against a rear collision (a rear-end
collision in which the vehicle is rammed from behind).
It is an object of the invention to accommodate and fasten the
battery in a vehicle of the type in question in such a manner that
it is protected both against head-on collisions and against rear
collisions and, what is more, restricts the loading space as little
as possible and is accessible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is known from DE 10 2004 023 754 A1, in the event of collisions
from behind, to protect a battery arranged in the interior of the
vehicle via a crumple zone and a movement converter. The movement
converter is a wedge which pushes the rear end of the battery
upward in the event of a collision. However, even in the case of
normal-sized batteries, this constitutes a risk to the
passengers.
According to the invention, this is achieved in that the floor
(more precisely: the floor panel) has a cutout which, in top view,
is larger than the outline of the battery box, in that the cutout
has a reinforced edge to which, at the front and rear, downwardly
directed supporting parts for the battery box are fastened, in that
the rear supporting part is fastened to the vehicle floor via a
pair of flanges having rearwardly and downwardly sloping stop
surfaces, and in that the battery box is rigid or reinforced.
In the event of a rear collision, the battery box is pushed forward
and, at the same time, its rear edge is pushed downward on account
of the sloping stop surfaces such that the battery box pivots
downward about the front supporting parts. It is therefore unable
to penetrate the interior of the vehicle, but nevertheless remains
connected to the vehicle. Owing to said mechanism, the battery may
also be accommodated securely behind the rear axle. The
reinforcement of the floor panel compensates for the weakening of
the floor panel because of the cutout and provides support for the
supporting parts. The cutout means that the battery is also
accessible from above for maintenance. Since the supporting parts
also permit the battery box to be accommodated at a certain
distance under the floor panel, the trunk floor remains
substantially flat. The reinforced battery box substantially
protects the battery against damage and, after being bolted to the
floor panel, brings about a further reinforcement of the floor
panel via the supporting parts.
The flanges of the rear supporting part having the sloping stop
surfaces can be connected to each other in various ways. For this
purpose, use is preferably made of shear bolts which are
dimensioned in such a manner that they only shear off at a defined
impact force and permit the flanges to slide on each other, as a
result of which the battery box pivots downward.
The supporting parts act in the same manner if the supporting arms
are fastened to the floor in such a manner that they can become
detached from the floor panel as the collision progresses. The
fastening means are then preferably also shear bolts which act even
in the event of a head-on collision.
In an advantageous development, the front supporting part (or the
front supporting parts) is fastened to the lower side of the
reinforced edge by means of tear bolts and has a horizontal
supporting spike which engages displaceably in a supporting plate.
In the event of a rear collision, the tear bolts permit the front
supporting parts to tilt downward and the battery box to be
displaced forward, with the supporting spike ensuring that, even
after the tear bolts have torn off or sheared off, the front
supporting parts remain connected to the vehicle. It remains
"hanging" in the supporting plate. The supporting plate is
preferably fastened to the floor of the vehicle and is supported
further forward on the floor of the vehicle via a crumple zone
located in front of the supporting spike in the direction of
travel. The crumple zone may comprise folds which are arranged
transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the
vehicle and have a reinforcing effect during normal operation.
In an advantageous development of the invention, a cover of the
battery box is fastened removably to the reinforced edge of the
floor panel and sits by means of its edge tightly on the battery
box. In the event of a collision, the cover thus frees the path of
displacement of the battery box. Since it is fastened to the
reinforced edge, it also takes on the sealing with respect to the
vehicle interior. The cover of the battery box is preferably
composed of plastic and is connected to the battery box in such a
manner that it becomes detached therefrom in the event of a
collision.
Particular economy of space is obtained if the cover of the battery
box contains the electronics associated with the battery, the
electronics thus being accessible from the interior of the vehicle.
Furthermore, it is advantageous, in order to protect the battery
and to damp structure-borne noise, if the battery is supported in
the battery box via elastic elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is described and explained below with reference to
figures, in which:
FIG. 1 shows, schematically, a motor vehicle according to the
invention,
FIG. 2 shows the detail II in FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 shows the detail III in FIG. 2,
FIG. 4 shows the detail IV in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 indicates a motor vehicle of customary design. Its drive may
be purely an electric motor or in hybrid form. Only its rear end 3,
which is visible above the rear wheels 2, and the vehicle floor 4
in the rear end are of interest. A very large battery, denoted
overall by 5, is arranged under the floor 4 and behind the rear
wheels 2. However, it could also be arranged in front of the rear
wheels 2 (indicated by dashed lines). Finally, a bumper support 6
is also indicated. The part of the vehicle around the battery 5 has
been torn open and is described in more detail below.
In FIG. 2, the floor 4 is a floor panel 10 with a cutout 11 which
is approximately rectangular in top view and the edge of which has
a reinforcing frame 12 running all the way around. Rear supporting
parts 13 and front supporting parts 30 for a rigid battery box 20
are fastened thereto. The supporting parts are either individual
arms or a single supporting part extending over the width of the
cutout 11. The rear supporting part 13 (or the rear supporting
parts) comprises a vehicle-mounted part 14 which is connected to
the reinforcing frame 12 by means of tear bolts 15 and also, or
alternatively, may be connected to the bumper support 6, and a part
16 in the vicinity of the battery. The two parts 14, 16 have
flanges 17, 17' which make contact with each other along a stop
surface running obliquely rearward and downward and are held
together by means of shear bolts 18 or in some other way. The
battery box 20 is connected fixedly to the part 16 in the vicinity
of the battery by means of a screw connection 21.
The front supporting parts 30 may again also either be a plurality
of supporting arms 31 or one supporting arm reaching over the
entire width. The supporting arms 31 are connected at the end in
the vicinity of the vehicle to the reinforcing frame 12 by means of
tear bolts 32, and are bolted at the end in the vicinity of the
battery to the battery box 20. A supporting spike 34 is provided
for horizontal guidance, said supporting spike engaging at one end
in a guide hole 37 in a supporting plate 35 and at the other end in
a guide hole 39 in a retaining plate 38. The supporting spike is
displaceable in one of the two holes 37, 39 and is secured in the
other one in each case, for example by welding. The supporting
plate 35 has a folded crumple zone 36, and the holding plate 38 is
part of the supporting arm 31.
A cover 45 sits on the battery box 20. It is preferably composed of
plastic, is light and sits tightly on a sealing flange 46, which
runs all the way around, of the battery box 20. Furthermore, it has
above it a collar which likewise runs all the way around and the
border 48 of which is connected releasably to the floor panel 10 or
the reinforcing frame 12 thereof. The border 48 lies either above
or below the floor panel 10 with the reinforcing frame 12. In the
former case, it can be lifted out of the interior of the vehicle,
in the other case, relatively small maintenance covers (not
illustrated) can be provided in the cover 45. Electric assemblies
49, such as, for example, cooling fans, control units, electric
switches, etc., are located in the interior of the cover 45.
In the event of a rear collision, for example a typical rear-end
accident, the vehicle-mounted part 14 of the rear supporting parts
13 is first of all pushed forward. In the process, the shear bolts
18, upon reaching a certain shearing force (corresponding to the
considerable rigidity of the battery box) are sheared off and the
flanges 17, 17' can slide on each other along the stop surface 19.
In the process, that part 16 of the supporting part 13 which is in
the vicinity of the battery is pushed downward such that the
battery box 20 pivots downward about the connecting point of the
front supporting arm 31 to the reinforcing frame 12. Upon the
tilting action, the tear bolts 32 are torn off (if the reinforcing
frame 12 does not yield sufficiently), but, owing to the supporting
spike 34, the front part of the battery box 20 cannot fall onto the
carriageway. The battery box 20 thus remains connected to the
vehicle and is slid over the carriageway in a way which does not
damage the vehicle.
If the impact force acting from the rear increases further, it is
then transmitted by the rear supporting parts 13 via the rigid
battery box 20 to the front supporting arms 31 and causes the tear
bolts 32 to shear off, as a result of which a forward displacement
of the front supporting parts 30 is possible. In this case, the
supporting spike 34 acts as a guide, and the crumple zone 36 of the
supporting plate 35 absorbs further impact energy.
In the event of a head-on collision, i.e. when the impact force
comes from the side which is on the left in FIG. 2, the tear bolts
32 are sheared off, the crumple zone 36 of the supporting plate 35
becomes effective and the remaining impact force, which is still
considerable, is conducted by the front supporting arms 31 via the
rigid battery box 20 to the rear supporting arms 13 where sliding
of the two flanges 17, 17' again causes the entire battery box 20
to pivot downward.
In FIG. 3, it can also be seen that the battery box 20 has
reinforcing beads 53 on its floor and that the battery 58 is
supported in the battery box 20 via an elastic intermediate layer
54. In this case, the battery 58 is clamped down on brackets 57,
which are connected fixedly to the battery box 20, by means of one
(or more) tie rods 55 and bolts 56.
FIG. 4 shows in detail how the reinforcing frame 12 is arranged on
the lower side of the floor panel 10. The foot 60 of the supporting
arm 31 can be seen under the reinforcing frame 12 and is bolted to
the reinforcement 12 and the floor panel 10 by means of the tear
bolts 32.
* * * * *